Bang!
It was as if a meteor had crashed from the heavens.
The moment Shi Yi materialized, a small figure barreled into his arms.
It was, of course, Shi Hao—eight years old, with his signature skyward braid.
At eight, he was hardly small, but that braid, paired with his guileless innocence, made him seem like a child who'd never grow up.
This was why, in the Void God Realm, Shi Hao had named himself "I'm Not Little Dot."
He wanted everyone to know he wasn't a toddler—he was eight years old!
But alas.
Thanks to his mother, Qin Yining, Shi Hao still radiated a childish air, untouched by maturity. His clothes, his demeanor—everything leaned toward innocence and purity.
If not for the upheaval at the Martial King's Manor, caused by the hunt for an adult Pixiu, which had nudged his mindset toward some semblance of maturity, he'd still be that carefree, naive Little Dot.
Oof.
"Brother Yi!"
Shi Hao tilted his small face upward, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"My stomach!"
Shi Yi clutched his abdomen, feeling as if his insides were churning. Here, in the First Domain's Initial Grounds of the Void God Realm, his strength was forcibly suppressed to the Blood Transformation Realm.
Shi Hao, blessed with an intact Supreme Bone that had nourished his body since birth, was unmatched by most in the Blood Transformation Realm.
If Shi Yi hadn't pushed his own Blood Transformation Realm to its extreme limit, that collision would've sent him sprawling.
As it was, the stomachache was proof that Shi Hao couldn't surpass him in this realm—they were, at best, equals.
Yet, in truth, Shi Hao was slightly outmatched.
Unlike the Supreme Bone, the Double Pupil offered no enhancement to physical strength.
Moreover, Shi Yi in the Void God Realm was merely a spiritual consciousness, not his true body. In the real world, Shi Hao's headbutt might've left himself with a lump, but it wouldn't have fazed Shi Yi.
Shi Yi's current physical prowess stemmed from multiple sources: the baptism in the true blood of ferocious beasts, the elevation from his ten Heavenly Passages, and his recent transformation in the Spirit Transformation Realm.
The foundational realms—Blood Transformation, Heavenly Passage, and Spirit Transformation—intertwined and amplified one another.
Strength in one step bolstered all steps.
Having successfully transformed his Heavenly Passages, Shi Yi's foundation was unprecedented, unmatched in history.
But as the saying goes: Only a living prodigy is a true prodigy. No matter how deep one's foundation or potential, a stroke of bad luck or an early demise renders it all meaningless.
Though Shi Yi had built an unshakable foundation in the three foundational realms, he still needed to tread carefully. Survival was paramount.
"Brother Yi, I'm sorry!"
Shi Hao shrank back, his small head lowered. He'd realized his recklessness and peeked cautiously at Shi Yi, worried his brother might resent him for it.
To put it simply, Shi Hao deeply valued family and brotherhood. Five years of separation had made the now-changed Shi Yi feel somewhat unfamiliar, but Shi Yi's words—"You're not a calamity"—had warmed the heart of this boy, long blamed by his clan and shunned by kin, showing him the embrace of family.
An elder brother is like a father.
With Shi Ziteng, Shi Ziling, Shi Zhongtian, and other Martial King Manor ancestors gone, Shi Yi, as the eldest direct grandson, held the highest status in the manor.
Like others in the Martial King Manor, Shi Hao now saw Shi Yi as their pillar. While not blindly obedient, he held deep respect for his Dpuble-Pupiled brother.
The Double Pupil marks a sage.
Nearly everyone believed that Shi Yi, having opened ten Heavenly Passages, could lead the Martial King's Manor to greatness, becoming an undeniable force in the Lower Realm's Eight Domains.
"I'm fine."
Shi Yi ruffled Shi Hao's head, his discomfort easing. Seeing Shi Hao's anxious, almost fearful expression, he found himself at a loss for words.
Without the trauma of having his Supreme Bone stolen, Shi Hao had grown up carefree. Though Shi Ziteng and Shi Ziling were gone, both Yuyue Xian and Qin Yining were still alive.
A single-parent household still had love, far better than being utterly alone.
Thus, neither Shi Yi nor Shi Hao had ever lacked a mother's affection.
Shi Yi handled it better. As someone reborn, even Yuyue Xian's near-obsessive doting couldn't sway his core resolve.
Shi Hao, however, was different. Qin Yining, while not as indulgent as Yuyue Xian, clearly had no knack for raising children. She'd nurtured Shi Hao into a silly, innocent boy.
Eyes full of purity.
But lacking the heart of a true powerhouse.
Beyond this, the loss of his father, grandfather, and other kin had undoubtedly saddened Shi Hao.
But when the sky falls, the tallest bear the weight. Shi Hao didn't need to shoulder it all.
In the current Martial King's Manor, Shi Yi stood at the forefront, a brother Shi Hao could rely on. This left Shi Yi under immense pressure to cultivate diligently and avenge their kin.
Shi Hao, by contrast, faced little such burden. After sparring and competing, he firmly believed Shi Yi would exact revenge.
It sounded odd.
But such is human nature.
Shi Hao wasn't born to shoulder everything alone. If given the chance, he, too, craved the feeling of being protected rather than facing every challenge solo.
Perhaps this Shi Hao had strayed from the path. Without the crucible of pain and hardship, he might not reach the ultimate heights. But no one is born destined to endure the world's suffering.
A few minutes later, Shi Yi spoke. "You're reckless, aren't you? Wrecking the Initial Grounds' passage in the Void God Realm? Aren't you afraid of getting trapped here?"
He gave Shi Hao a light smack on the back of the head, finally recalling his true purpose: to discipline this clueless kid.
Messing with the Initial Grounds' passage?
Was he really not afraid of being stuck?
"I just wanted to test its strength. I didn't expect to actually break it!" Shi Hao said, clutching his head.
"Don't do this kind of thing again. The Void God Realm has its own temper. Be careful, or you might not be able to enter next time!"
Shi Yi warned him, hoping to curb these reckless antics. Being barred from entry was a minor issue; getting his spiritual consciousness trapped in the Void God Realm would be a real problem.
He couldn't openly mention the risk of being trapped. The Void God Realm clearly had its own will, and stirring trouble with careless words might lead to unforeseen consequences.
"Brother Yi, I was wrong. I won't do it again."
Shi Hao lowered his head, obediently admitting his mistake.
As said before, an elder brother is like a father.
Besides his mother, Qin Yining, Shi Hao's closest bond was with Shi Yi.
"Knowing your mistake is enough. Don't do such reckless things again. The Martial King's Manor has no ancestors left—only our generation remains. We can't be arrogant or careless. We must cultivate diligently and kill those pureblood beasts to avenge our kin. That's what matters."
Shi Yi didn't press further. He trusted that Shi Hao wasn't one to lie. If he said he knew his mistake, he likely meant it.
"Mm!"
Shi Hao nodded earnestly, his small head bobbing. He, too, wanted to grow stronger to avenge their family.
Seeing Shi Hao's agreement, Shi Yi used his spiritual energy to connect with the Void God Realm again. The Blood Transformation Realm achievements in the First Domain's Initial Grounds had been nearly exhausted by Shi Hao. Staying here was pointless.
Unless he stooped to Shi Hao's shameless tactics, scheming to sabotage the Void God Realm for a chance at breaking extreme records.
But that was unnecessary.
Better to head straight to the Second Domain and tackle the Heavenly Passage Realm records.
_
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